Finger Food Recipes

When I think of stuffing (or dressing), the picture that comes to mind is of day-old bread mixed with onion, celery, other vegetables, dried fruit and herbs. It's time for a change, and this year for Thanksgiving, I'm opting for a healthier but just as tasty version using wild rice, pumpkin, dried mango, cranberries, asparagus and walnuts.

For easier serving, I baked it in individual cups and covered them with a blend of Jarlsberg and cheddar cheese. That might make them a little less healthy, but it’s so worth it!

My husband's youngest sister, who just started third grade, recently told me she didn't like "Wednesday Pizza" at school and asked me to give her a boxed lunch instead. I had leftover roasted butternut squash, so in the morning, I quickly improvised a flavorful hot pocket sandwich with 2 of my little munchkin's other favorite ingredients: salami and brie cheese.

I assembled the pocket in a sandwich grill we have. I love this sandwich maker because it browns the bread and seals the sandwich perfectly. After they were done cooking, I wrapped the sandwiches in wax paper and packed them in her Disney Princess school lunch bag. The sandwiches cooled down to room temperature by lunch time, but they were still crunchy and delicious. If you were to make these as a box lunch for work, you could put them in the toaster to re-heat before eating. No microwave though!

If you thought chili couldn't be the basis for an elegant appetizer, give this recipe a try! I had leftover vegetarian chili, so I scooped it into stemmed crimini mushrooms. I baked them for 20 minutes, sprinkled on a combination of queso manchego and Oaxaca cheese and then baked them again until the cheeses melted.

After placing them on the table, I just turned my back for a few minutes and the appetizerswere all gone. Everyone asked for more, and since these little bites are pretty nutritious, I had no problem obliging!

In this recipe, mushrooms are used as little receptacles for serving tabouleh. They make very refreshing appetizers, which pair perfectly with the beautiful weather we've had in the Bay Area.

I pickled the mushrooms days in advance so the mushrooms aren't raw but still hold their shape and don't darken. The appetizers are assembled at the last minute and they make an ideal dish for a buffet-style party. We're hosting our annual pool party soon, so I've been experimenting with fun, summer-y appetizers for the occasion and this mushroom dish is definitely going to make the list!

Making stuffed mushrooms is a great way to put stale bread to use. I served soup the other night and we had 2 leftover rolls, so I decided to make a plate of these savory treats. To start, I sautéed a few vegetables, including zucchini, bell peppers, celery and carrots. You can use whatever you want, but it's a good idea to choose colorful ingredients. Once the vegetables were cooked, I added the bread, a little vegetable broth and fromage blanc. In case you were wondering, the fromage blanc helps keep the top moist even after the stuffed mushrooms are baked. To complete the dish, I topped the mushrooms with sharp Cheddar cheese.

I didn't add any additional spices, because the bread was already studded with chiles. Otherwise, a little heat is a nice touch to balance the flavor. One final bit of advice: make a bunch of these. They go fast!